Article · ~20 min read

How PostHog Grows: The Power of Being Open-Core

Jaryd Hermann · How They Grow Freemium Intermediate

A detailed teardown of how one company turned open source into a growth and trust engine rather than a giveaway to rivals. It explains the open-core model: an open, inspectable product that pulls developers in, with paid layers on top. Read it to see the full mechanics before you assume open-sourcing your MVP just helps competitors.

  • Open-core pairs an open product with paid layers that fund the business
  • Developers adopting and inspecting the code became internal champions
  • Transparency reduced buyer anxiety and drove word of mouth
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The question it answers

  1. Should I open-source my MVP or build in public to get early users, or does that just help competitors copy me?

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